The present invention generally relates to computer apparatus, and more particularly relates to apparatus for charging portable computer batteries.
Portable computers, such as the increasingly popular notebook computer, are typically provided with elongated batteries removably disposed in a battery storage compartment within the computer. Under conventional practice, a portable computer battery is recharged by removing it from the battery storage compartment in its associated computer, placing the removed battery in a horizontal orientation entirely within the interior the outer housing of a battery charger through a front access opening therein, and then closing a front access door on the housing to engage the battery and force its charging contacts against corresponding contacts on a power wiring board vertically disposed within the back of the housing.
This conventional computer battery charging apparatus presents several problems, limitations and disadvantages. For example, because the battery being charged is completely enclosed within the charger, it is often necessary to provide auxiliary cooling to prevent charging heat from damaging the enclosed battery and/or the charging circuitry. Moreover, since the charger must be sized to completely receive one or more computer batteries, the charger tends to be rather heavy and bulky, thereby undesirably decreasing its portability. Additionally, in this conventional full enclosure type of computer battery charger access to the internal charging circuitry tends to be relatively difficult, and the structure of the charger is often relatively complex, thereby making it fairly expensive to manufacture.
It can be readily seen from the foregoing that it would be desirable to provide improved portable battery charging apparatus that eliminates, or at least substantially minimizes the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages commonly associated with battery chargers of the general type described above. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved portable computer battery charging apparatus.